Chinese Pancakes: Bok Bang

Chinese Pancakes: Bok Bang

There is nothing better than eating freshly made
pancakes with hot mu shu chicken. Years ago,
pancakes that were cooked and then frozen were
imported from Taiwan. All one had to do was steam
them.

They were highly unreliable, most often fragile
and easily torn. Recently thin pancakes labeled
"moo shoo wrappers" have arrived in markets.

They are quite thin and elastic and I consider them
adequate to use. However, they do not even
approximate those you make yourself.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, enriched,
bleached (recommended: Pillsbury Best) plus 1/2 cup
for dusting 3/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
Hoisin Sauce, recipe follows
Cantonese Fried Chicken, recipe follows
White parts of 6 scallions, shredded into 2-inch
lengths

Put the flour in a mixing bowl. Slowly add the boiling
water and stir in 1 direction with a wooden spoon.

When the flour absorbs the water and cools, knead the
dough into a ball and then place it on a work surface
dusted with flour. Knead for about 2 minutes, until the
dough is thoroughly smooth. Place in a bowl, cover
with plastic wrap, and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

On a flour-dusted work surface roll the dough into a
12-inch sausage and divide into 12 (1-inch) pieces.

Flatten each piece with your palm, using more flour
to dust if the dough is sticky. While working, cover
the dough not in use with plastic wrap.

Working with 2 pieces of dough at a time, wipe 1 side
of each piece gently with sesame oil and place 1
flattened, oiled piece atop another.

Roll them together into 7-inch rounds. The result is
a 2-layer pancake.

Repeat until 6 (2-layer) pancakes are made.

Heat a wok over low to medium heat for 1 minute.
Place a double pancake in the dry wok and cook for
a minute, until it begins to bubble up. (The heat
in the dry wok must be carefully controlled. If
it is too high, the pancakes will burn.) Turn
the pancake over and cook until a few brown spots
appear.

Remove from the wok and separate into 2 layers.
You will have 2 pancakes, each browned lightly
on 1 side and white on the other. Repeat until
all the dough is used and you have 12 pancakes.

Before serving, steam the pancakes in a stack
for 5 to 7 minutes, until soft and hot. Brush
the pancake with hoisin sauce, place the chicken
slice in the pancake, add some scallion, and fold
up the bottom to create an envelope closed on 3
sides but open at the top.

Serve immediately.

Hoisin Sauce:
1/3 cup sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Shao-Hsing wine or sherry



Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Cantonese Fried Chicken
Poaching Liquid:
3 whole eight-star anise
1/4 dried tangerine skin (about 2 inches long)
3 cinnamon sticks
1 slice ginger, 1-inch long, lightly smashed
10 cups cold water
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup Chinese white rice wine or gin
1 whole nutmeg

1 whole chicken (3 1/2 pounds), cleaned thoroughly and dried

Coating:
1 1/2 tablespoons honey melted with 3 tablespoons boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons Shao-Hsing wine or sherry
1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese white rice vinegar
3/4 teaspoons cornstarch

6 cups peanut oil (for frying)


Combine the poaching ingredients in a large pot
preferably an ovalDutch oven) and bring to a boil.

Cover the pot, lower the heat and simmer for 20
minutes. Raise the heat to high and return to a boil.
Place the chicken in the pot, breast side-up. Cover.

When the pot begins to boil, lower the heat and simmer
for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken over and repeat the
process.

Turn off the heat and allow the chicken to sit in the
liquid, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken
to a rack that has been set into a platter and allow
to drain. Pierce the skin with a fork to help the
draining. Discard all the ingredients from the pot.
Reserve poaching liquid for later use.

Mix the coating ingredients, and with a pastry brush,
coat the chicken thoroughly with the mixture. Allow
the chicken to dry completely, about 6 hours. During
this time, turn the chicken, taking care not to mar
the coating. (An electric fan can reduce the drying
time by half.)

Heat a wok over high heat for a minute. Add the
peanut oil and heat it to 375 degrees F. Using
a large Chinese strainer, lower the chicken into
the oil, breast side up, and deep-fry for 3 minutes.

Use a ladle to pour oil over the chicken to ensure
uniformity in frying. Turn the chicken over by
inserting a wooden spoon in its cavity, and deep-fry
for another 3 minutes, ladling the oil as before.

Repeat until the chicken is golden brown. Turn off
the heat.

Remove the chicken and allow it to drain. Place
the chicken on a chopping board and slice the meat
and skin together into pieces 1 by 2 inches.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings